Update: Bennett tweeted that he has “decided to move on from the world of football and into the fantastical and wondrous world of creativity” the day after this interview.

Martellus Bennett’s biggest inspiration isn’t an athlete.

It’s Willy Wonka, who he says compelled him to wake up one day and figure out how to make chocolate, though he also has many, many more creative inspirations.

“Willy Wonka’s like my Michael Jordan,” he said.

Bennett is perhaps best known for being a 10-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl champion. However, as he’s stressed repeatedly over the last few years, he’s far more than that. He founded the Imagination Agency, a multimedia company that makes everything from kids’ books to animated short films to chocolate bars.

But don’t count him out of the NFL yet, just because he’s a 31-year-old free agent writing books for kids. He’s still thinking about whether he should sign with a team or retire.

Bennett spoke with For The Win on the phone on Thursday night about deciding what to do next in his football career, how he and Tom Brady bonded over interior decorating with Pinterest, his new book and his reaction to Kobe Bryant’s Oscar win.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

In your interviews this week, you’ve said you’re contemplating retirement, would like to play with your brother on the Eagles and that the Patriots have come up in talks, is there anything you’d like to say to the fans regarding any of that?

I didn’t know I had fans… Nah, I’m just a regular everyday NFL player without a job, looking for a job, the struggles of that, and you know, just the life of an NFL player who’s not on a roster.

Martellus Bennett and his daughter talk with the media after the Patriots won Super Bowl LI. (Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

I know you haven’t made a decision yet, but if you didn’t play this season, like if you couldn’t find a contract that worked out, would you consider coming back kind of like what Marshawn did, or is this more of a play versus retirement decision for you?

I mean, I haven’t really got that far yet. I don’t think I’ll have a problem finding a contract or anything like that, it’s more about what’s best for me and my family, and me emotionally and mentally and all that stuff. I haven’t even thought about that. What Marshawn did was pretty awesome, but it depends how I felt. I can’t really speak on that because I haven’t really retired. I’ve never done that before. Possibly. I don’t know. It’s always cool to make a comeback like 45 Michael Jordan did, or like Marshawn Lynch.

On the Bill Simmons Podcast you said you bonded with Tom Brady over interior decorating. How did that come up between you guys?

We were just on the bus on the way to a game, to the plane to get to the game, and we sit by each other on the bus or whatever. He was on Pinterest and he was looking at some stuff on the house, and I saw like, “Oh yeah, I love that.” I think it was Restoration Hardware. “Oh yeah, I love that piece by Restoration Hardware.” He was like, “Yeah.” I was like, “This is my Pinterest.” We just started showing each other our Pinterests. He loves more contemporary, very rich. He loves like the big doors.

We just talked about all that, and I just started talking about how I heard that he had a moat in front of one of his houses, and I was like, “That’s some baller (expletive).” That’s just how we are. I’ll send him pictures of stuff from time to time.

Tom Brady and Martellus Bennett celebrate a touchdown during the first quarter against the Browns on Oct. 9, 2016. (Photo: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)

When did you realize, or did you always know, that you could be more than an NFL player and that you could grow this huge creative agency that you’ve got going on?

I’ve always known from a young age that creativity is natural. Someone had to teach me how to play football and someone had to teach me how to catch a ball, how to run a route, but no one ever had to teach me how to tell a story. No one had to teach me. Of course there’s skills that you hone and get better at, but I’ve always been naturally a creative and I had to learn to be an athlete.

So, I always knew that I wanted to build my own company and do my own thing. I don’t like working for people, so you think about being an entrepreneur, it’s what is it you’re going to build, what is it people care about for you to do. For me, storytelling is what I love to do and that’s my life’s work. Football is not my life’s work. It’s just part of my life’s journey, but creativity is my actual life’s work.

You’re going to release one of your new kids’ books. You have one out already. What do you hope kids and parents get from reading your books?

That black kids too can go on great adventures. I think the biggest thing for me is representation. Kids of color, they deserve great products and stories that they could see themselves in. I feel like everyone else had their chance to do it and they didn’t do it, so now the Imagination Agency is stepping up to the plate and we’re gonna make it happen.

With the Imagination Agency, you’ve got so much more going on — you’ve got music, you’ve got chocolate, apparel, all these different things — what does a typical day in the office look like for you?

Lots of laughter. I think that’s the biggest thing. Really, I just wake up and I just kind of like, “Oh, what should I make today?” If I’ve got some time, there’s usually projects, I’ve got deadlines and stuff on there, but usually it’s just like I have this great idea. Can I make chocolate? I love Willy Wonka. I want to be the black Willy Wonka, so how can I make my own chocolate? If he could do it, I could do it.

I have this wish list of things I want to do, and I just try to figure out ways to either collaborate with somebody to do it, or how I can make it come to fruition.

I know you also post photos of your daughter too while you’re working and that she inspires some of the things you do too.

Yeah, I like my daughter … Yeah, kids are welcome, dogs are welcome in my studio. We’re making stuff for her. I just want her to grow up in a creative environment, so that she can learn. I have friends who are photographers, so she knows how to be behind the camera and in front of the camera. If we’re making music, she’s in the studio and she’s just soaking in all this creativity without even knowing it. Really I’m just preparing her to live a creative life.

Who are your biggest creative inspirations?

Yeah, I mean, God. He created the Earth in seven days. That was pretty awesome. Um, (laughs), nah, I’m just messing with you. There’s like Tim Burton, Walter Dean Myers, Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein, Jim Carrey, Richard Pryor … There’s a lot of people that inspire me. I’m inspired by everything and everyone. Tim Burton’s my favorite director. Willy Wonka’s like my Michael Jordan. I don’t know. There’s a long list of things. I like Ed Catmull, the guys over at Pixar. I’m not gonna say the other guy’s name because he’s going through a lot of s— right now that’s inappropriate.

You’ve called yourself the black Walt Disney in some other interviews.

I’m tired of saying that, though. I just want to be equivalent to him. What he did for everybody. For me, I think creating content that everyone could enjoy, families all over the world could enjoy.

Another thing you do is animations. Kobe Bryant won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, what was your reaction to seeing him do that?

I was like oh (expletive), that’s dope. He beat me to it, though. I thought it was pretty cool that he did it. I mean, with Glen Keane and John Williams scoring it, he set up to make an Oscar piece from the beginning, so it’s just like when you’re putting your roster together, he did a great job. Other than that, I think it was amazing he was able to come from where he came from and compete at a high level.

Photo: EPA-EFE/PAUL BUCK

How long do you think it’ll take before that’s you up there?

I’m just waiting for somebody to give me the chance to make a full feature film.

Is the goal to change that? Is that the goal? … It’s more about changing someone’s perspective than changing someone’s mind. The more we have people like Kobe, myself, creating and making things, I think the more that narrative will change.

Martellus Bennett talked to us about his new kids’ book and bonding with Tom Brady over interior design on Pinterest.

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